WIRED requested the favored YouTube yoga trainer Sara Beth for her high recommendations on shopping for the most effective yoga mat:
Thicker just isn’t higher. You continue to need to help your steadiness by having a agency connection to the bottom beneath you, so goal for a 3 to five mm thickness. You may all the time add extra cushion in your knees within the middle, however an excessive amount of cushion beneath the back and front, the place your arms and ft go, can disrupt your steadiness.
Search for good grip. For decent yoga or sweaty individuals, ensure your mat will get grippier when moist. A washable design is extra hygienic. A microfiber-finished mat will be put within the washer (producers instruction suggested) or you may go for a “yoga towel” you cowl the mat with earlier than wiping down and washing after your session.
Take a journey mat. For holidays, a skinny, light-weight, 0.059-inch (1.5-mm) mat will be folded or rolled in your suitcase. They work effectively on lodge room carpet, however when you want extra cushion you may all the time layer a towel the place your knees go. I’ve additionally practiced yoga in my lodge room with simply the tub towel laid out like a mat.
Make it simple to exercise. In case you plan to make use of your mat like a fitness center ground for Pilates, weights, yoga, and HIIT, then think about investing in a jumbo 5- by 8-feet mat (like Gorilla mat), which should not transfer. These are sometimes a bit heavier and sturdier, which can assist it keep in place when you transfer.
